Duplex spray machine



June 9, 1953 D. P. WRIGHT EI'AL 2,641,503

DUPLEX SPRAY MACHINE Filed March 27, 1950 2 Sheets-She'et 1 mvzufonsDavid P wright Richard J'.FIL5I2 BY 4M1; mu.

ATTOR N EYS June 9, 1953 D. P. WRIGHT ETAL 2,641,503

DUPLEX SPRAY MACHINE Filed March .27, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS.Dqvid P ZUz-igbi Rzcbard .E-Fisb BY MM ATTORNEYS Patented June 9, 1953UNITED STATES PATENT! OFFICE DUPLEX SPRAY MACHINE David Porter Wright,Oakland, and Richard Harrison Fish, Morgan Hill, Calif., assignors toAir- Fan Products Corporation, Gilroy, Calif., a corporation ofCalifornia Application March 27, 1950, Serial No. 152,142

This invention relates generally to a power driven sprayer foragricultural use, especially the wherein such pulsating and sweepingaction is accomplished through the use of an oscillating deflection vaneextending to each air blast outlet of the machine; there being a novelmechanism for power oscillating each vane. r

A further object of the invention is to provide a spray machine whichproduces very effective atomization of the liquid spray and directionalcontrol thereof; this being obtained by mounting the spray nozzles alongthe outer edge of each oscillating deflection vane, and feeding saidnozzles from within said vane. With such arrangement, the nozzles alwaysdischarge into the sweeping air blast in its direction of flow.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a spray machinewhich is operative to discharge an air-spray blast laterally outwardlyand upwardly from each side of the machine whereby to spray the trees ofadjacent rows between which said machine travels.

-;It is also an object of the invention to provide a spray machine whichis designed for read and convenient manufacture.

Still another object of the invention is to pro vide a practical andreliable device, and one which will be exceedingly effective for thepurpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following4 Claims. (Cl. 299-37) fan casing 4 from ahead thereof; i. e. fromwithin 2 Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the machine is of trailer type, adapted to be coupled in draftrelation to a tractor; the numeral [indicating 1 generally the trailerframe, which is supportedon opposite sides by pneumatic tire wheels 2. I

:An elongated housing 3 is mounted on the frame I and encloses, as isusual inmachines of the general type, an engine and a liquid spray tank(neither being shown).

At the rear end of the housing 3 the machine is provided with the sprayunit-in which the invention is embodiedcomprising the followmg: v i

The numeral 4 indicates an upstanding, transversely extending fan casingof semi-triangular configuration in end elevation.

The fan casing 4 is rigidly mounted inconnection with the rear end ofthe frame I, and includes a front shroud or wall 5, a rear shroud orwall 6 spaced from the wall 5, and a connecting bottom plate I.

The front and rear walls 5 and 6 respectively of the fan casing areformed with circular air intake openings; the opening in the rear wallbeing shown at 6a, and said opening normally being covered by agrille-like guard 6b. The air intake opening in the front wall 5 is notshown, but is fed from an opening in the housing 3. t

The fan casing is formed, on oppositesides, with air blast outlet slots8, which slots extend, from opposite ends of the bottom plate 1, inupwardly and inwardly converging relation to the top of the fan casing4, and at which point-said slotsmerge. In other words, the slots 8 forma continuous opening about the sides'and-to'p of said fan casing. I I

Laterally inwardly. of the slots 8, and centrally in the fan casing 4,registering with the air intake openings in the walls thereof, there isdisposed a centrifugal discharge fan 9 mounted on a longitudinal shaftIII which projects into the the housing 3, and in which the engine (notshown) drives such shaft.

As so mounted the centrifugal discharge fan 9 is operative to deliver avery powerful air blast out of the slots 8 in a lateral, as well asupward, direction.

Proper directional distribution of the air blast from the fan 9 throughthe slots 8 is accomplished by a circumferential row of relativelysmall,

equally spaced, deflector vanes I I which span between the front andrear walls 5 and 5, respectively, of the fan casing 4. These deflectorvanes I l are supported by spindles !2 whereby the vanes l4 secured atthe inner edge to a tubular shaft.

I5, and secured at the outered'ge to. a pipe P6; the latter curvinginwardly at the upper end of" the corresponding vane to a terminationclose to the adjacent end of the outer edge pipe I6 of the other vaneI3.

A multiplicity of outwardly projecting. nozzles I! are mounted incommunicating relation on,

and extend as a row the full length of, each.

outeredge pipe [6.

Each vane 13 is disposed in the corresponding slot8 sothat it projectsonly slightlyout of, and

is mounted for lateral oscillation in, such slotas follows:

At: the upperend the tubular shaft 5 of' each vane Bisjourna-led, as at-48, in connection with a cross bar 1"!) which extends between the 5 and6; the wane being notched, as at 20, to permitt of such mounting.

Adjacent, but short of, its lowerend the tu-' bular shaft L5 of eachvane I3 is journaled, as at 211-, in. connection with the bottom plate1; such shaftgprojecting' a short distance below such loottom-plate.

Liquid spray material is .fed to the nozzles f! from the tank (notshown) within. the housing 3 by passage means which inciudes' a flexibleconduit 22 leading to adjacent the lower end of each tubular shaft I 5,and being connectedto. the latter by an elbow fitting 23-; After beingtied into each tubular shaft 15 the 'iiquid spray material delivers"through alateral pipe '24 into the corresponding outer edge pipe t6, andthence I sprays 'from-the-nozzles H; such liquid spray ma- .teriaibeingdelivered under pressure. 7

The vanes 13 are oscillated, in opposition, whereby on each side of themachine? the airspray blast emits with. a puis'at'ing and, sweepingaction such oscillation'ofthevanesiaeing accom p'lishedbym-eans ofthefollowing-mechanism;

Eachtubular shaft I5 is secured to a universal coupling, indicatedgenerally at "2.5, whichcomprises a coilar-Zat on the shaft, string-2isurrounding the co'llar 26', opposed pivotszll' betwe n isafid' ring;and collar, andv other opposed? pivots."- '29 which project laterallyoutwardly the ring 21 atright angles to the pivots. Theopnosed pivots 29are secured to the upper :endst nfi' a yoke 30 which straddles the elbowfltting' 2.3.:from. below; suchyoke 31) including a .dependmgizstem 31.

Thedepend-ing stem 31 of each; universalcoudling--25 has a radi'aTleverarm: 32-; atfixed thereon, and pivotal-1y connected links 33. enternzllaterally inwardly from; thevradial leverarmsfi 21 At their 'innerendsone of thelinks 3.3: diret-conneoted to a crank pin 34 of a crankdisc. while'the other link 33 is connected to said crank; pin by meansof a radial extension lever :36 thereon."

With this arrangement the links 33I-areaconneeied in eccentric relationto the crank disc 3.5, butzare worked in opposition by said disc'. Theresult is thatthe radial lever arms-32 and thevanes it-are oscillated inopposition relative to each other.

The crank disc which is disposed in a plane below the bottom plate 1 andslightly ahead of the fan casing 4 is fixed on the lower end of avertical shaft 31 which depends from a reduction gear box 38 driven byan endless belt and pulley unit 39 from the shaft l0 ahead of thecentrifugal dischargezfan =9.

With "the foregoing *mechanism the vanes l3 are constantly oscillated,in opposition to each other, in their respective slots 8, and with such'osoi'l'lationrof the vanes the air-spray blast emits from the machinelaterally and upwardly on opposite sides with a pulsating and sweepingaction. "The result is that the air-spray blast drives into each tree'muchmore effectively than otherwise, assuring against leaving spots orareas in the trees: untreated- The pulsating and sweeping action. of theair spray causes the leaves of the trees to flutter to an extent thatmost eflfective coverage of such leaves and the twigs is accompii'shedas the machine passes.

"Being duplex, it. e. delivering from. opposite sides; the machine isoperative to. spray the trees of adjacent rows between which suchmachine travels, and any'branches which overhang: the machine aretreated fromthe nozzles which oocum' the inwardly curvedzupper'pontions' 11f the outer edge pipes L6 of the vanes is.

The vanes r3 may oscillate, while at the same time being suppliedwiththe "liquid-spray mate- "rial under pressure, :by reason of :the factthat the conduit portions 22 are flexible, and as the tubular shafts 15are rockedh-throug-h: the medium of the universal couplings.

The air blastoutof the. slots AB is increased in 'veloeity'by reducingthe. widthof. eachxsslotat the. mouth thereoi, as at -5;thissreduction-in sprayandiitsdirectional contra.

'Fromythe description itswiilzbenead- 'ily seen; that "there beenproduced such. a device as: subsi:amt-iellly' fulfil-ls.- the objects ofthe invention, asset forthherein.

Whilethisenecificatiom setsrforthi in/detaiithe present and: preferredconstruction. of. the. demise.

whichLett-ersPatent are desired:

'1. An agricultural. spray machine comprising a fan casing having .an;upwardly extending, laterally opening air blast outlet'slot; a

power driven fan insthe; casmg: operative tocreate an air blastthnoughthe slot; an air: blast "deflection vane extending lengthwise. in; theslot,

means pivoting the vane in. thewsiot i201; oscillaaxis extendingalong-.ztheinner -e.dge portion .of

' said name, a. power: actuated" bran-k mechanism,

connections; between; the: crank. mechanism and vane operative tooscillate-thelatter,a-pipealong the outer longitudinal edge of the vane,a row of nozzles on the pipe, the vane mounting means including atubular shaft along the inner edge of the vane, a conduit communicatingbetween the pipe and tubular shaft, a flexible conduit to supply spray,and a coupling between said flexible conduit and tubular shaft; saidconnections, for oscillating the vane, including a part attached to thetubular shaft in working relation thereto.

2. An agricultural spray machine comprising a fan casing having anupwardly extending, laterally opening air blast outlet slot therein, apower driven fan in the casing operative to create an air blast throughthe slot, an air blast deflection vane extending lengthwise in the slot,means pivotally mounting the vane in the slot for oscillation across theair blast and about a longitudinal axis extending along the inner edgeof the vane, said mounting means including a shaft projecting from oneend of the vane, a universal coupling attached to the shaft, a poweractuated crank mechanism spaced from the universal coupling, connectionsbetween the crank mechanism and universal coupling to oscillate theshaft and vane from said mechanism, the shaft being tubular, a flexible,spray supply conduit coupled to the shaft, a pipe along the outer edgeof the vane in communication with the tubular shaft, and a row ofoutwardly projecting nozzles on the pipe.

3. An agricultural spray machine comprising a fan casing having anelongated air blast outlet slot, a power driven fan operative to createan air blast outwardly of said slot, an elongated substantially flatvane pivotally mounted in the casing inwardly adjacent to the slot andlongitudinally thereof and transversely edgewardly extended through theslot, a power actuated crank mechanism, connections between the crankmechanism and the vane operative to oscillate the vane in the slot, aplurality of nozzles mounted on the edge of the vane extended throughthe slot and directed outwardly of the slot in substantial alignmentwith the vane, and means for supplying fluid spray material underpressure to the nozzles.

4. An agricultural spray machine comprising a fan casing, said casinghaving a pair of elongated air blast outlet slots therein upwardly andoppositely laterally disposed therefrom, an elongated substantially fiatvane positioned longitudinally in each slot and transversely edgewardlyextended therethrough providing an edge within the casing and an edgeexternally of the casing, means pivotally mounting the inner edge ofeach vane within the casing for oscillation about an axis longitudinallyof its respective slot, said mounting means including a hollow shaftprojecting from corresponding ends of each of the vanes, a pipe mountedalong the outer edge of each vane, means interconnecting the pipe andthe hollow shaft in fluid communication, a plurality of nozzles mountedon the pipe and outwardly extended therefrom relative to DAVID PORTERWRIGHT. RICHARD HARRISON FISH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,859,567 Knapp et al. May 24, 1932 2,321,792 Bowie June 15,1943 2,374,130 Planiol Apr. 17, 1945 2,429,374 Shade Oct. 21, 19472,454,339 Potts et al. Nov. 23, 1948 2,583,753 Spreng et a1 Jan. 29,1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 588,592 Great Britain May 28,1947

